Perilla

December 1st-

It was Nathan's birthday, and we wanted to celebrate by dining somewhere new (to us) and fantastic, so we made reservations in Greenwich Village at Chef Harold Dieterle's Perilla. According to the restaurant's website, "The Perilla plant is a relative of mint and basil but has a strong anise-like flavor. Primarily used in Asian cooking, Perilla is most commonly known as Shiso." Since, I was unaware of this little fact, I thought you may be interested in it, too. If not, well, at least you are a little more educated now. Anyway, we didn't choose this place for its name. The Chef Dieterle's gem is known for its emphasis on seasonal ingredients, and that is what its all about.

Upon entering the restaurant, we noticed it was small, and unpretentious. It's cozy and minimal at the same time, very comfortable. They have a small, but fun cocktail menu which consisted of a Manhattan, (their way); The Perilla, a blend of gin, perilla, grapefruit and prosecco; the Cool Cuke, cucumber vodka, St. Germain, lemon and soda; and the one I couldn't resist, the Autumn Pear which was made up of vodka, cassis and Bordelet pear cider....bright red, delicious and light, served in a tall soda glass.

After pondering the mouthwatering menu, we decided to go our usual route of ordering two appetizers and an entree to share. First, the hand cut tagliatelle with Maine lobster, guanciale, holy basil, and fra diavolo sauce......it sounds a lot fancier than it was. The pasta was good, the lobster was cooked perfectly and the sauce had a tomato base. It was very fresh tasting. But our favorite appetizer, and being a former vegetarian, I sometimes cannot believe this stuff comes out of my mouth.......the crispy wild boar belly with stewed huckleberries, squash and banyuls-vanilla caramel. I'm sorry, but I was so giving it up to that boar and appreciating him. He was delicious! Carrying on in a carnivorous vein, for our entree, we devoured the roasted duck breast with duck fat popcorn, mustard greens, mung beans, dragon fruit and spicy chili jam. Wow. We were loving life now. And.......to top it all off, at the birthday boy's request, we had the chocolate souffle.

All in all......no complaints.....great food and drinks, good service, cozy restaurant in a cute neighborhood.......I recommend.